Timeless Theme: Love Turns into Destruction

Desdemona and Othello

Rachael Redmond, 3, 2/13/2012, Reflective Essay

The appeal of Shakespeare’s work has endured for centuries because of the timeless themes interwoven in the drama and comedies. In Shakespeare’s drama Othello, ideas connected to man’s undesirable and primal qualities have been told many times before and many times after because the themes are always relevant. A particular message that will always be applicable regardless of the time period is the destructive nature of jealousy and anger, especially when love is involved. This was the driving theme in Othello, acting as the catalyst to many of the conflicts and drama. In addition to causing destruction in Othello, jealousy and anger caused by love have been present in other works, such as the film Troy and the story of Francesca and Paolo in Dante’s Inferno. In these works and many others, uncontrolled and potent emotions driven by love inevitably lead to devastation of the lovers and those around them, and this has been true throughout time.

Paris and Helen

Paolo and Francesca

Throughout Shakespeare’s Othello, jealousy and anger fuel the conflict that leads to the destruction and the death of many characters. After learning of his wife’s supposed affair, Othello is consumed by rage and thoughts of revenge, saying, “Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace,/ Shall ne’er look back, ne’er ebb to humble love,/ Till that a capable and wide revenge/ Swallow them up” (III.iii. 458-461). His declaration of anger ties to the theme of the jealous husband plotting destruction against the offending lovers. Othello soon loses control over his emotions, calling for the death of Cassio and Desdemona, declaring, “Aye, let her rot, and perish, and be damned tonight, for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned to stone, I strike it and it hurts my hand” (IV.i.169-171). A tumultuous combination of love, anger, and jealousy spark a need for revenge in the wronged husband, leading to dramatic events involving death and destruction. This theme not only wreaks havoc in Othello, but also causes much upheaval in the story of Helen and Paris in Troy and Francesca and Paolo in Inferno.
 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332452/

Two other works, Troy and Inferno, exhibit similar mayhem caused by a jealous husband whose love turned to devastating anger. In the movie Troy, Menelaus, husband of the beautiful Helen, has his brother Agamemnon start a war with the Trojans over her affair with the Trojan prince Paris. After Helen runs away with Paris, both Agamemnon and Menelaus start a crusade to destroy Troy and capture Helen. Menelaus vows to get Helen back so he can kill her himself, burning Troy to the ground in the process (Troy). Many soldiers and innocent people died during a war that started because of a  husband’s jealousy over an affair. Another story contains the same theme: the story of Francesca and Paolo as told in Dante’s Inferno. Francesca, wife of Giovanni, had an affair with his brother Paolo, and when Giovanni discovered the two, he killed them both. They say, “Love led us straight into sudden death together” (Alighieri, 845). The anger and jealousy of Giovanni led to the sudden and violent death of two young lovers, leaving tragedy in their wake.
 http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/circle2.html

Part of the appeal of Shakespeare's work comes from the timeless themes, allowing the messages from the plays to be applied to any time. The theme from Othello about the destructive combination of love, jealousy, and anger can be seen often in other works, such as Troy and Inferno. Not only does this theme appear in works of literature and theater, but this idea has played out many times in real life. This is due to the nature of man, seeking revenge to right a wrong, especially when it comes to love. Because of this, the theme about love turning into destruction will be present for many years to come, making it truly timeless.


Works Cited

Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Maynard Mack. W.W. Norton &, 1980. .823-959. Print.
Perrine, Laurence. “Othello.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense. Fort Worth. Harcourt College. 2002. 1361-462. Print
Troy. Dir. Wolfgang Peterson. Screenplay by David Benioff. Perf. Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, and Orlando Bloom. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2004. Film.